This analysis by IEEP and SEI assesses to what extent the actions included in the new Circular Economy Action Plan published by the European Commission on 11 March 2020 may contribute to a more circular European economy within the boundaries of the planet.

The authors conclude that the action plan is a promising continuation of existing efforts, but ask for more concrete measures to address unsustainable resource consumption.

The authors make five recommendations to EU policymakers in this regard and emphasise the importance of EU Member States and the private sector showing leadership and willingness to innovate.

Up to 90 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the EU, half of which is generated at production and/or processing stage.

Being highly versatile and efficient, insects can bio-transform many of these materials (before they become "waste") into a wide range of higher-value products and ingredients that can further be included into the food and feed chains. Their added value goes beyond that of an alternative feed ingredient.

The lower Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of insects confirms their efficacy, but also their ability to concentrate lower value materials into ingredients of superior quality, such as proteins and lipids, in line with the natural nutritional needs of aquaculture, poultry or swine.

Increasingly, circular procurement is seen as one of the ways to promote a circular economy.

This book provides a practical 8-step approach to integrate circular economy principles into a procurement process. Starting with the 'why' of circularity, following steps include internal collaboration, procurement procedures, developing criteria and contract management.

The book is the English translation of the successful Dutch edition 'Circulair inkopen in 8 stappen'.

The Polish Chamber of Digital Economy, an Ecommerce Europe member, has published a report on sustainability in e-commerce.

This report, titled Green Generation, shows that Polish consumers generally spot environmentally-unfriendly behaviours of retailers, but they do not quite want to take responsibility for making e-commerce less harmful to the environment; only one in five consumers is willing to wait longer for a shipment to be delivered through a grouped consignment.

As they already engage in some environmentally-friendly practices, such as collecting parcels from dedicated points, they do not seem willing to take up financial responsibility, such as paying extra charges for more ecological packaging or deliveries.

What does the circular economy (CE) mean from a territorial perspective?

This report by the ESPON CIRCTER project provides:

1. a territorial definition of a CE based on resource consumption and waste generation intensities and trends across European NUTS2 regions
2. a comparison with other socio-economic trends like employment dynamics and economic growth
3. evaluation of the territorial factors most critical for CE transformations
4. a description of the systemic mechanisms facilitating CE transitions at territorial levels
5. an illustration of policy approaches and best practices supporting the transition towards a CE in various territorial contexts, and
6. guidance supporting local and regional authorities in defining CE strategies.

This interactive policy guide aims to inspire local and regional policy makers to develop circular economy strategies that can change the structure and operations of their economies and industries so that they better contribute to more sustainable economic growth in Europe.

The guide provides suggestions on how to assess the local and regional contexts needed to adopt the right policy strategies and targets. It also gives insights on how to choose the right policy strategy, define priority areas, set favourable framework conditions and how to monitor and evaluate the outcomes.

Examples are used throughout the guide to illustrate the various elements. The guidance is based on analysis and insights generated by the ESPON CIRCTER project, which is co-financed by the ERDF.